


Somewhere Safe

by Revasnaslan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, War, Young Zarkon (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-11 17:51:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15977399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revasnaslan/pseuds/Revasnaslan
Summary: Zarkon might be young, but he can tell something is wrong just by the way his parents are acting.





	Somewhere Safe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kolivans (arka_r)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arka_r/gifts).



> Here is my fic for the Galra Reverse Bang!! This is the first Reverse Bang I've ever participated in, but I was lucky enough to get partnered with my friend, Arka. Almost all of the named characters in this fic are part of his headcanon for Zarkon's background, and I tried to stick as close to his headcanon as I could while writing this! :3
> 
> **Beta:** Vox | [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/voxiferous)
> 
> **Artist:** Arka | [Tumblr](https://xblackpaladin.tumblr.com/) | [Link to Art](https://xblackpaladin.tumblr.com/post/178107361200/somewhere-safe-read-the-fic-here-fanfic-by)

Something was wrong.

Zarkon could tell, even if he didn’t know exactly what that something was. He might have been young, but he wasn’t  _ stupid _ , even if Diasha had called him that a couple of quintants prior during breakfast—she had immediately been scolded by Zira, but still. He had noticed that whenever the subject of his father, Hirtuk, and his mother, Diada, was brought up, Zira, his dam, and Tuvak, his papa, were always quick to insist that Hirtuk and Diada were on an “important assignment”.

Naturally, in a family with five children, rumors were already running wild. Diasha said they were escorting the Emperor himself across the country, while Ziyan insisted they were protecting Daibazaal from invaders in another system. Diara, meanwhile, thought they were chasing after some kind of fairytale creature from one of Zira’s stories and then got upset when nobody agreed with them. Zarkon had listened to their discussion, as it got more and more out of hand, holding baby Torvak in his lap while Torvak gnawed on his finger. 

Nervousness settled in the pit of his stomach as his siblings continued their discussion, and the need for his dam grew to the point where he wanted to  _ get out _ of the room. Carefully, he stood and tried to mimic Zira, balancing Torvak against his side to the best of his ability. None of his siblings noticed as he crept away, but he left the door slightly ajar, and he could still hear their shouting behind him. From the sound of it, Diara was holding fast to their fairytale hunt idea.

“What do  _ you _ think father and mother are doing, Torvak?” Zarkon asked, tilting his head at his baby brother, even though he didn’t expect much of an answer. Torvak couldn’t talk yet, after all. Torvak mirrored the head tilt, one of his tiny hands shoved in his mouth. Then, he reached out with the other hand, batting it against Zarkon’s nose. Zarkon sputtered, reeling back, and frowned as Torvak giggled.

As he neared the kitchen, he could hear hushed whispers, though they were drowned out by the shouts of his siblings behind him. He recognized Zira’s voice, though. They sounded worried, fretting about something or other—Zarkon couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying. Then, Tuvak spoke, voice soft as if he were trying to offer reassurance. Then, Zarkon caught Diada and Hirtuk’s names. His ears perked as he tried to listen, lingering in the doorway to the kitchen, but then Torvak babbled excitedly, seeming to have noticed where they were.

Immediately, Zira and Tuvak both dropped the conversation, and turned their attention to the children standing in the doorway.

“Zarkon… I thought you and Torvak were playing with the others,” Zira said. Their voiced wavered only for a tick, so briefly that Zarkon wondered if he had actually heard it at all. As they spoke, they rounded the table, which Zarkon now noticed had yet to be cleared off. Lunch had ended half a varga ago… had they been talking all this time?

“Um…” Zarkon’s ears drew back as he tried to think of an excuse for leaving besides the one that had actually made him leave. His nervousness was beginning to abate now that he was away from his siblings—away from their wild theories. But he didn’t want Zira or Tuvak to worry about him when they were clearly already upset enough as it was. “Torvak,” he finally said, motioning to his baby brother. “He was getting fussy.”

Torvak, however, was the picture of a happy baby, giggling and kicking his legs as Zira neared. Carefully, they scooped Torvak up and nuzzled the top of his head, earning a soft coo in return. Then, Zira knelt down to do the same to Zarkon, and he let out a soft purr, snuggling into Zira’s arms when they were offered. At the sound of shouting from down the hall, however, Zira looked up, ears twitching. Sighing, they stood, balancing Torvak on their hip.

“Well, I see they are getting very energetic,” Zira said over their shoulder to Tuvak.

Then, there was a crash—Tuvak visibly winced at the sound—followed by the collective gasp of Zarkon’s siblings, barely heard through the half-closed door at the end of the hall.

“Aaaand they’re breaking things,” Tuvak said. He didn’t seem upset, though, just exasperated as he began collecting plates off the table. “I told you it was a good idea to move anything expensive out of that room.”

“Yes, and I agreed,” Zira said, smiling as they turned to leave the room. “Zarkon, how about you help your papa with the dishes?” Then, they were gone, disappearing down the hall. Zarkon lingered in the doorway, watching them go. From the sound of things, his siblings were beginning to try and pin the blame on each other before Zira even got there.

“Zarkon,” Tuvak said, getting his attention again before tossing a towel in his direction, and Zarkon easily caught it. “Come on, then. You can dry, and we can talk.”

Zarkon’s ears twitched nervously as he followed Tuvak over to the sink. “Am I in trouble, Papa?” he asked.

Tuvak chuckled, shaking his head. “No, of course not,” he said reassuringly. “Your dam and I were just talking… and we were going to tell you and your siblings together, but since your siblings are causing trouble, you’ll be the first to know about what’s happening tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Zarkon asked, carefully climbing the stool that was next to the counter. His ears drew back, continuing to twitch nervously. What was happening tomorrow? For half a tick, he thought that perhaps Hirtuk and Diada were finally coming home, but… Zira and Tuvak still seemed worried about something. Even though they were trying to hide it, Zarkon could tell. Even now, Tuvak seemed more focused on the water leaving the faucet than he was on actually washing the dishes… his movements were automatic, almost robotic, like the sentries that Zarkon had seen around town.

“Your dam is going to take you and your siblings for a little hike is all,” Tuvak said, running the plate he had been washing under the water, getting rid of any lingering suds. Then, he handed it over to Zarkon, who carefully began trying to dry it, while Tuvak picked up the next plate from the stack.

“A hike?” Zarkon asked, ears perking excitedly. It had been a while since they had gone on an outing like that…

“I have to stay here to run the shop,” Tuvak continued. “But I trust you and your siblings won’t give your dam too much trouble? There will be four of you and one of them…”

Zarkon frowned, but nodded quickly as he set the dried plate to the side and accepted the next one. He wondered why Zira had decided that tomorrow was the day to go out… even though questions about Hirtuk and Diada were lingering in the back of his mind, he held his tongue.

—

The next morning, Zarkon and his siblings were following Zira and Tuvak to the edge of town. Each one of them was tasked with carrying something or other. He watched as Diara ran up ahead, giggling and clutching a large blanket in their arms. Diasha followed closely after, carrying a small bag that matched the larger one Zira had slung over their shoulder. Zarkon was carrying Torvak for the time being, although he knew he would be handing his baby brother over to Tuvak as soon as they reached the edge of town. With so many children to keep track of, Torvak was going to stay behind so Zira didn’t have to juggle five children by themself.

“How long will we be gone?” Ziyan was asking as she trailed after Tuvak and Zira, a couple of paces ahead of Zarkon. “Are we going to the tippy top?”

“Not quite the tippy top, but we’ll still be going a fair way, dear,” Zira assured her. “I’ll let you know when we arrive where we’re going.”

Zarkon knew they wouldn’t be going too far. It would take a long time to get to the summit and back by hiking. He remembered once, when Diada and Hirtuk were actually around, the entire family had taken a day trip up the mountain. At the time, Zarkon had been too young to get up and back, so someone had had to carry him all the way to the bottom. The rest of the trip had been fun, at least, even if he had fallen asleep on the way back.

They got to the edge of town more quickly than Zarkon wanted… Torvak seemed to sense his anxiety, and started babbling and giggling happily, as if that would lift his spirits. And it did, for a brief moment, before Tuvak leaned down to take Torvak out of Zarkon’s arms.

“Best hurry,” Tuvak said, nudging him lightly after the rest of the group. “Or you’ll be left behind.”

As they disappeared up the trail, Zarkon glanced back. Tuvak was still standing there, and when he noticed Zarkon had looked back, he carefully held up Torvak’s hand by the wrist, waving it back and forth as Torvak giggled. Zarkon raised his hand in return, smiling wide. He lingered too long, however.

“Zarkon! Keep up, dear, or you’ll get left behind!” Zira called from up ahead, mirth lacing their tone. They seemed much happier than they had in a while, and Zarkon hurried to catch up with the rest of the group. He remembered some of Hirtuk’s stories about wild beasts that roamed the mountainsides. Such stories had given Zarkon nightmares in the past, and more than once he had gone to Zira in the middle of the night, but keeping close to the group now made him feel a little bit better. He knew Zira would never let anything happen to him.

By the time they had reached about a quarter of the way to the summit, the sun was already high in the sky, beating down on them. However, Zira steered them into a shaded clearing, near one of the streams that flowed down from the peak. There, the group set up their picnic. Lunch was about chaotic as it usually was, with lots of enthusiastic chattering from Zarkon’s siblings. As soon as lunch had finished and the roughhousing had begun, Zarkon retreated to a nearby tree, carefully clawing his way up to one of its lower hanging branches.

He stayed up there for a while, watching as his siblings run around down below, trying to catch each other. Zarkon didn’t feel like joining them, though. Not right now, at least. He couldn’t stop thinking about how the last time they had gone for a hike, the entire family had been able to come…

“Zarkon?”

His ears perked at the sound of his dam’s voice—they had been glancing back at him every once in while since lunch had ended. When he looked down, he found that Zira was standing at the base of the tree, staring up at him. Their brow was knit in concern, and they looked as if they wanted to ask something, but were hesitating to do so. A sigh left Zarkon as he watched the expression on their face rapidly shift.

“Are you alright, dear?” they asked finally. “You barely ate anything during lunch…”

Zarkon kicked his legs back and forth, ears drooping. “I’m fine…” he said softly.

“Do you want to come down?” Zira tried, crossing their arms over their chest. They didn’t sound terribly convinced, and frankly, Zarkon didn’t blame them.

He shook his head, kneading his claws into the branch he was perched upon. “No, I like it up here.”

With a soft sigh, Zira nodded. “Alright,” they said, leaning back against the trunk. “Do you want to talk about whatever it is that’s bothering you?”

Zarkon’s ears twitched in unease. “I’m fine.”

“I like to think I know when my own children are upset, dear,” Zira said gently. “Now, what is it?”

For a long moment, Zarkon remained silent, even though he now had the opportunity to talk about what he was worrying about—Diada and Hirtuk, how their absence had been affecting Zira and Tuvak. What they were involved in would have also been nice to know. He wasn’t entirely sure where to start. Simply asking what had happened to his mother and father? That would likely get him an answer of ‘you’re too young to be worrying about all that’. It was an answer he had gotten before. That was what he had been told when they had left… but now, he was older. A little bit, not by much. But maybe it was enough. He opened his mouth to start asking if Diada and Hirtuk were alright, perhaps if they would be coming home soon…

But then there was an explosion in the distance. A loud one that shook the very ground.

The clearing fell quiet immediately as all of Zarkon’s siblings stilled, staring out over the horizon, eyes wide in horror. Zira’s gaze snapped in the direction of the sound as their posture stiffened entirely. Over the crest of the next mountain, a plume of smoke rose, thick and black like a storm cloud. Far off in the distance, Zarkon could make out the familiar shape of a Galra cruiser—he had seen pictures in a book his mother had given him for his birthday last year. Nearer, though, was a smaller cruiser, a model that Zarkon didn’t recognize.

“Dam…” Zarkon said nervously, as he began clambering down the tree. His heart was pounding frantically in his chest, and as soon as he was on the ground again, he clung to Zira, nuzzling his face into their side.

“Everything is going to be fine, dear…” Zira said soothingly. “Right now, we need to get back to town. Your papa and Torvak will be expecting us.” As they spoke, they ran their hand over the top of his head, trying to comfort him.

But Zarkon could feel their hand shaking, and it did little to quell the fear rising in his chest.

—

Zira led them down the mountain in a rush, after hastily packing up everything they had brought with them. Even though there had been excited chattering on the entire journey up the mountain, now Zarkon and his siblings were silent, watching the battle that was going on over the crest of the nearby mountain. Zarkon couldn’t take his eyes from the large Galra cruiser—he wondered which commander was in charge of it. He hoped it wasn’t Diada or Hirtuk, but he didn’t know what their cruisers looked like, so he couldn’t be sure.

As soon as they were in the house, Zira immediately told them that they were to pack small bags with a couple changes of clothes and a toy or two. Zarkon couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his dam so antsy—perhaps just before Torvak was born? Without another word, Zira disappeared into the kitchen, presumably to find Tuvak and Torvak. Even though Zarkon wanted to ask his parents what was going on, where the family would be going, Zarkon decided against it. Instead, he went to his room and started gathering stuff like his dam had told him to. He rooted around in his drawers, grabbing a couple of changes of clothes and stuffing them haphazardly into a backpack.

The ground shook as another explosion rang out in the distance—it sounded closer than the mountains. Carefully, Zarkon eased the window in his room open, and poked his head outside. The sun was beginning to disappear behind the nearest mountain. It would only be a matter of time before he wouldn’t be able to see the air battle any longer. The Galran cruiser had moved closer, lingering perhaps only a couple dozen miles from the town. Now, Zarkon could make out smaller, much faster ships darting around in the sky—some of those ships were of Galra make. Others Zarkon couldn’t recognize.

It left an uneasy feeling in his chest. A chill was beginning to run up his spine.

“Zarkon,” Zira said as they poked their head into the room. “Come on, dear… it’s time to leave.”

As he left, Zarkon grabbed the derka plush sitting on his bed, clutching it to his chest as he followed Zira. The rest of the family had gathered in the main living area of the house. None of his siblings appeared to know what was going on—not even Diasha, who usually liked boasting when she had been let in on secrets she was allowed to know by virtue of being the oldest. Now, she was silent, staring at the floor as she fiddled with the strap on her bag. Ziyan was watching Zira, and it seemed like she wanted to ask questions, but was holding her tongue. Diara appeared nervous, unable to sit still.

“Everyone is going to have a buddy,” Zira said as they took Torvak from Tuvak, carefully balancing the cub on their hip. “Diasha, you’re with Ziyan. Zarkon, you’re with Diara. Keep your papa or myself within eyesight at all times.”

“Dam, what’s going on?” Diasha asked, much more softly than Zarkon had even heard her speak. Her ears had pinned back completely. She looked like she had seen a ghost. 

“We’re being evacuated,” Zira said simply. “To where, I don’t know… they’ll tell us once we get to the shuttles.”

“But what about—” Ziyan started.

A loud explosion sounded close by, shaking the house violently. One of the shelves shook, knocking over its contents, and Zarkon heard the smashing of pottery as several decorative vases fell to the floor. For a tick, he was worried the house was going to cave in on them. After the house stopped shaking, everyone started panicking. Ziyan and Diasha were asking too many questions and speaking too quickly for Zarkon to understand what they were saying, while Diara was shaking like a leaf. Torvak had begun crying as soon as the house had started shaking, only calming when Zira started bouncing him lightly.

“Quiet, all of you!” Tuvak said sternly. “Keep a hand on your buddy at all times. Do not get separated. Is that clear?” All of the cubs were silent, exchanging nervous glances. Tuvak sighed, gaze softening. “Everything is going to be fine,” he said, calmer this time. “Nothing is going to happen to any of you. Not while me and your dam are here…”

That put Zarkon’s mind a little more at ease—he knew his parents wouldn’t let anything happen to him, or to any of his siblings…

As they made their way out onto the street, Zarkon could see the devastation that had already been wrought in the distance. Fire was raging in a portion of the northern edge of their small town, tearing through the buildings there, kicking up a dark plume of black smoke that was barely visible in the slowly darkening sky. And there were loud crashes in the air, the sound of blaster fire from the fighters that were flying around.

Tears were forming in his eyes before he realized what was happening. Why was this happening? They hadn’t done anything…

“Zarkon,” Zira said, lightly touching his shoulder and urging him to continue on. He held his plush derka closer and followed after them without a word. Diara was a couple steps ahead, holding out their hand, and Zarkon took it.

As they neared the spaceport, halfway across the town, Zarkon could hear shouting, and a chill ran up his spine. The spaceport was utter chaos as everyone was trying to get out of the area and out of harm’s way. Thankfully, there hadn’t been much fire damage to the area, although there was shrapnel, and fallen debris from a fighter that had crashed a couple of blocks over. Zarkon paused from walking, staring up at the sky again, making sure there wasn’t anything above them. The cruiser was further off again, seemingly trying to keep its distance from the town if it could… but the fighters were drifting every which way. It was impossible to keep track of them in the dark like this.

“Where do we go?” Diara asked, barely audible over the crowd of other refugees from their neighborhood. There were voices from every direction, speaking quickly and all at once, and Zarkon couldn’t clearly make out what any of them were saying. Diara seemed to be getting overwhelmed as well, so Zarkon squeezed their hand.

“Um…” Up until this point, Zarkon had been following the crowd, trying to get to the spaceport, but as he looked around now, trying to spot Zira, he found that they had disappeared completely from his sights.  “We’ll go… this way,” he said, heading in the direction he had last seen Zira walking. They had just been there a couple of ticks beforehand, they couldn’t have gone far.

Or it would have been easy, if not for the state of emergency. As they walked, they were getting bumped and pushed as people tried to get to the shuttles. In the dark, it was hard for other refugees to see Zarkon and Diara, since they were so much smaller than most of the adults who were walking around. Trying to keep Diara from getting trampled, Zarkon gathered them up under his arm and pressed on. He remembered Zira and Tuvak saying something about talking to guards or sentries in the event they ever got lost in town and didn’t know how to get home. Surely the same applied in a situation like this.

Upon locating a guard, however, the guard took one look at them and refused to even listen to them, no matter how much Zarkon tried to get a word in edgewise. Instead, he and Diara were dragged onto the nearest shuttle—he barely managed to keep a hold on his sibling so they wouldn’t get left behind. Glancing around the shuttle, he couldn’t see Zira or Tuvak anywhere, only other, less familiar adults and their families. Dread settled into his gut. No, no, no,  _ no _ … they needed to find their parents. Zarkon turned back to look at the guard, opening his mouth to argue that there had been a mistake, but they were already gone.

The landing ramp closed behind them, shrouding the shuttle in darkness.

—

The shuttle was cramped—a suffocating environment—and it felt like the thick, steel walls were closing in on Zarkon. There were too many people, too much noise, and all Zarkon wanted was his dam and papa. However, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do except keep a firm hold on Diara so they didn’t get lost in the chaos. Diara clung to his shirt like their life depended on it. Their tiny, needle sharp claws were digging into his arm, and Zarkon could hear them sniffling as they hurried to keep up with his longer strides. Nobody around them was really paying them much mind. They were all too concerned with their own families to notice two young cubs who had been separated from their parents in the evacuation chaos. Taking slow, deep breaths, Zarkon tried to keep a level head—he had to, for Diara’s sake.

They ended up hiding in a secluded spot towards the back of the shuttle, shoved in a too-small area between haphazardly packed crates and the wall. Diara had quickly sprawled themself across Zarkon’s lap, seeming to just want some kind of contact and to feel more secure. There were fewer people back here, so it was quieter and little less overwhelming Zarkon was finally able to breathe.

He could feel Diara shaking like a leaf.

“We’ll be there soon…” Zarkon said, trying to remain calm despite the situation. Carefully reaching out, he ran his hand over the crest of Diara’s head, like he had seen Zira do about a million times. It had always helped him and his siblings calm down when Zira did it…

Slowly, Diara’s shaking subsided, but their ears were still drooping, and big, fat tears were still rolling their cheeks as they sobbed. “Will everyone be there?”

“They’re taking us somewhere safe,” Zarkon said, trying to be as reassuring as possible. He didn’t know where exactly ‘somewhere safe’ was… all of the guards had been talking too quickly for him to understand when they had been shoved onto the shuttle. He had been in such a panic trying to figure out what had happened to Zira and Tuvak that he hadn’t been paying enough attention. But he was sure that they’d be able to find their parents once they were…  _ wherever _ this shuttle was heading.

Diara was silent for a while after that. Initially, Zarkon thought that maybe they had fallen asleep, but then he felt them fiddling with the fraying hem of his tunic, as if they were trying to distract themself. Zarkon let them, continuing to stroke the top of their head as he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. He nearly drifted off, just sitting there. Exhaustion was beginning to seep into his bones now that they were out of harm’s way, and he didn’t know how long he’d be able to stay awake for—he didn’t want to actually sleep until he was sure Diara had. It would still be several vargas at least until they reached their destination.

“Zarkon?” Diara spoked up suddenly. Their voice was quiet, as if they were trying to keep from being heard. Zarkon noticed then that since he had closed his eyes, the lights around them had dimmed, and most of the other passengers had quieted down. It seemed like most had fallen asleep.

Not wanting to disturb anybody else, Zarkon made sure to whisper. “What is it?”

“Do you… do you think Dam and Papa are worried?” Diara asked, looking up at him. They had a downright pitiful look on their face, with splotchy, red eyes and ears that still had yet to perk back up.

“I’m sure they’ll be glad to see us,” he said, desperately trying to be reassuring. “We’ll… we’ll find them when we get there, and Dam will gather us up and give us nuzzles…” He hoped so, at least. Now that he was thinking about, worry began to pool in his chest. Would his parents be cross that he had lost sight of them during the evacuation? It was the one thing that Zira had said was truly important… and it was the one thing Zarkon  _ hadn’t _ done.

Diara was staring at him, brow furrowed and worry etched onto their face. They looked as if they were going to start crying again.

“Just get some rest,” Zarkon said. Then, he bumped his nose against Diara’s temple, nuzzling them as a soft, hissing purr rose in his chest. Diara sunk into the embrace, finally seeming to give into their own exhaustion.

“Will you wake me?” Diara mumbled sleepily as they snuggled in.

Zarkon’s gaze softened. “Yes, I will…”

He stayed awake until he was sure Diara was asleep, continuing to lightly stroke the top of their head.

—

Zarkon awoke with a start as the shuttle abruptly shook. For a tick, he was worried that they were about to crash, but then he realized that they had touched down at their destination. He shifted carefully, trying to keep from disturbing Diara as he peered out of their hiding place. Glancing around, he noted how many of the adults had been woken up by the landing too. Diara was still asleep, clinging to Zarkon as if they were scared he was going to be ripped away.

A small smile appeared on Zarkon’s lips as Diara let out a couple of soft squeaks in their sleep. Then, he shifted and glanced around the shuttle again. The loading ramp had lowered, revealing the outside, and a couple of Galra and other people whose species Zarkon didn’t recognize had come onto the ship to help the refugees. Zarkon stayed where he was, watching as refugees were led off the shuttle and into the city outside. Over the chatter, Zarkon caught the name  _ Orivas _ , and his ears perked excitedly. He had never been to the capital of the Oradis Province before, although he had heard about it from his parents. From where he was sitting, he could see large buildings that seemed to touch the sky. Mid-morning sunlight seemed to dance off of them, shining bright—Orivas being called a ‘jewel’ made more sense to him now.

“Diara,” Zarkon said quietly, nudging them. “Diara, wake up.”

His sibling mumbled softly, rubbing one of their eyes as they blinked sleepily against the harsh light. “Are we there yet?”

“Yes, look,” Zarkon said, motioning to the loading ramp. Diara’s eyes widened as they followed his gaze. Their ears perked after a moment, and a bright smile appeared on their features at the sight of the capital.

“Hello there…” 

Both Zarkon and Diara glanced to the side. One of the non-Galran people who had been helping the refugees was crouching beside them. Unlike a Galra, this person was bright pink, with two horns on either side of their head, just in front of their ears.

“Hi…” Zarkon said quietly. “Who are you?”

“Tris,” the person said, offering a gentle smile. “I’m with the Dalterion envoy… you’ve probably never seen one of my people, have you?”

Zarkon almost nodded, because he _ had _ , but only in pictures. He knew from some of his parents’ stories that the Dalterions were among the oldest allies that the Galra had—they had been through thick and thin together, and continued to stand together against potential threats, such as the Alteans who lived light years away.

“I like your horns!” Diara said, wiggling out of Zarkon’s grasp and staring with wide eyes. “They look like a crown!”

Tris chuckled softly. “Thank you, little one,” they said sincerely. “You can touch them with you like.” A bright smile broke out on Diara’s lips as they reached out excitedly. Tris was patient with Diara, leaning their head to the side so Diara didn’t have to reach far. “Now, what are your names?” Tris asked, directing the question at Zarkon specifically.

“I’m Zarkon,” he said shyly. “This is Diara… we lost our dam and papa during the evacuation.”

Tris’s gaze softened, and they offered a reassuring smile. “Well, don’t worry,” they said. “I’m sure they’re looking for you.”

Zarkon hoped so too… he tried not to think about it too much as he glanced at his sibling again. Diara was rattling off all kinds of questions, and insisting that Tris looked like one of the warrior princesses from some of Zira’s bedtime stories. Tris’s remained patient, and they answered each and every one of Diara’s questions.

“Okay, little ones,” Tris said, rising to their feet. “Come on. We need to check you in.”

As they emerged from the shuttle, Zarkon’s breath caught in his throat, and he heard Diara let out a tiny gasp beside him. The buildings he had caught sight of from the shuttle’s landing ramp seemed even bigger now that he could see them in their entirety. Some of them seemed even taller than the mountains, stretching up towards the sky. Zarkon’s grip on Diara’s hand tightened now, just to make sure they didn’t run off. Zarkon didn’t want to lose them in the  _ capital _ of all places—he’d never find them again.

“Zarkon, Diara,” Tris said, looking over their shoulder. “Come on. Keep up.”

They were led over to an elderly Galra who had the microcomputer in their wrist band open, scrolling through a list of some kind. The Galra glanced up as the trio approached, first at Tris, and then at Zarkon and Diara as they hurried to keep up with Tris’s longer gait.

“And who are these two?” the Galra asked, tilting their head.

“I found them on the shuttle, Lieutenant Lok” Tris explained. “They said they were separated from their parents during the evacuation.”

“Oh, the poor dears,” Lok said, ears shifting back sympathetically. “What are your names? I’ll make a note in case someone comes asking for you.”

“Um…” Zarkon began mumbling shyly. “I’m Zarkon, and this is my sibling Diara.”

Lok nodded, typing their names in quickly. “Tris, why don’t you take them to—”

“I can keep an eye on them,” Tris cut in. “My daughter is here with me. She’ll keep them company.”

“Very well,” Lok agreed, before leveling a stern look at Tris. “But keep your comlink open in case their parents are located.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Tris said as they turned away. “Come on, little ones.”

Zarkon wordlessly followed them, while Diara waved at Lok, who smiled gently and waved back before continuing their work. Tris led Zarkon and Diara over to the far side of the station, beside a small, personal shuttle. A small Dalterion was sitting in the shade of one of the wings, playing with a couple of toys. She looked up as they approached, and at the sight of Tris, a bright smile broke out on her features. Immediately, she got to her feet as she closed the distance remaining between her and her parent, hugging Tris around their legs.

“Zarkon, Diara, this is my daughter, Trigel,” Tris said, lightly patting their daughter on top of her head. “Trigel, these two were separated from their parents… they’ll be hanging around here today while we wait for their parents to arrive. Do you remember how you’re supposed to greet Galra?”

Trigel nodded, before quickly extending her hand. “Hi!” she said excitedly.

Zarkon reached out, gripping her forearm in greeting, while Diara peered around him at the small Dalterion, clinging to his free arm. It seemed they had shown with Tris had left them now that they were being introduced to another child.

“How come you’re on Daibazaal?” Diara asked.

“Mama is an… envoy?” Trigel glanced at Tris to make sure she had used the right term, and her ears perked when Tris gave her a small nod. “They meet with the Emperor… we were supposed to go home today, but Mama wanted to stay and help with everything.”

Diara frowned. “If you’re a Dalterion, how come you don’t have horns?”

“ _ Diara _ …” Zarkon hissed, shooting a look at his sibling, who merely stuck out their tongue at him.

Tris chuckled softly. “Trigel’s haven’t come in yet,” they explained patiently. “Now, Trigel, how about you show them some of your toys? I’ll be right back.”

As Tris turned away to leave, Trigel took Zarkon by the hand and started leading him over to where all of her toys were laid out in the grass. At the sight of them, Diara’s entire face lit up and they darted forward, looking over them before they picked up one that looked like a shuttle.

“Can I play with this one?” Diara asked excitedly.

Trigel laughed, going over to join them. “That one lights up.”

“Zarkon, you need to play too!” Diara insisted.

Zarkon smiled, coming over to join them. “Of course…”

—

A couple of vargas passed like that. Playing with Trigel and his sibling was a nice distraction from the fact they were separated from the rest of their family. Tris came and went throughout the afternoon, checking in on them in between helping other refugees. However, whenever they were around, they constantly made sure that Zarkon and Diara were comfortable, that neither of them was upset. Diara seemed to be taking the separation a lot more easily now that they had Trigel distracting them.

By the time the sun was beginning to dip past the far off mountains, Diara had passed out, curled up with their head in Zarkon’s lap while he sat and talked with Trigel. At some point during the afternoon, Zarkon had pulled out the derka plush he had forgotten was shoved into his bag. He held it close, running his hand along the top of its head and over its ears.

“I like your animal,” Trigel said with a bright smile, motioning to the derka plush. “What is it?”

“It’s called a derka,” Zarkon explained. “They’re my favorite… our neighbors have a couple of them, and they quack a lot.”

“It’s cute!” Trigel said, scooting closer. “Can I see?”

Zarkon nodded, handing the plush over to her. He was surprised by his own actions, as Zarkon didn’t normally like people touching the plush since Tuvak had made it especially for him. However, Trigel was gentle with it, turning it over in her hands and looking over its floppy ears.

“Does it have a name?” Trigel asked, lifting one of the ears up. She seemed enamored with the plush.

Before Zarkon could respond, however, he heard someone shout his name. A very familiar someone.

“Zarkon!”

His heart leapt into his throat as he recognized Zira’s voice—had they finally found him and Diara? When he turned, Zira was standing there, no more than twenty feet away, with Torvak balanced on their hip and Tris leading them over. Zarkon had been worried that Zira would be angry with him for getting lost, but now, he saw nothing but relief on their face. He was so distracted he didn’t even notice that Diara was awake until they had darted off, rushing over to where Zira was standing. Zarkon was only a couple of steps behind them, and by the time they reached Zira, they had knelt down to gather both cubs up in their arms.

“Oh, thank goodness…” Zira mumbled, sounding more relieved than Zarkon had ever heard them. There was the slightest shake to their voice as they dipped their head to nuzzle both him and Diara. “I was so  _ worried _ about you two… when Tuvak couldn’t find you—oh, we thought you had been left behind…”

“Zarkon made sure we stuck together!” Diara chirped, ears flicking excitedly. “And then Tris the Warrior Princess got us out of the shuttle, and we got to meet Ma’am Lok and—”

“Well, it sounds like you had quite the adventure,” Zira said as a slight smile appeared on their lips. Then, they cast a thankful look at Tris. “And thank you for watching them.”

Tris dipped their head. “Of course… if I had lost Trigel, I would’ve been a wreck trying to get them back,” they said, returning Zira’s smile. “You can wait here for the rest of your family. I have to go speak with Lok.”

“Dam, can I go play with Trigel some more?” Diara asked hopefully.

Zira glanced around them to the small Dalterion who was standing nearby, still holding Zarkon’s stuffed derka as she smiled at the family. A soft chuckle left Zira before they nodded, and Diara let out a high pitched squeal and darted off.

“But only for a little while, dear!” Zira called after them. “Your papa will be here soon with your sisters!”

Zarkon remained in Zira’s arms, fidgeting and nervously tugging on the sleeve of his own tunic, unsure of what to do or say. Torvak babbled then, reaching out to bat at his nose and giggling when Zarkon let out a surprised squeak. Zira’s gaze had softened while watching them.

“You’re really not mad…?” Zarkon asked nervously.

Zira’s ears flicked in confusion and their brow furrowed in concerned. “Why would I be mad?”

“Because I lost you…” Zarkon mumbled, his ears drooping. “You said keep you or Papa in your sights at all times and I—I didn’t.”

“No, dear… I’m not mad about that,” Zira said reassuringly, stroking the top of his head. “You did so well, especially given the circumstances. You took great care of your sibling, they’re normally so shy around new people. And Trigel seems nice—you even let her play with your derka…” They smiled again and dipped their head to nuzzle against his temple. “I’m proud of you.”

Zarkon snuggled into Zira’s arms, letting out a soft, hissing purr. “It’s good to have you back…”

Zira returned the purr, holding him close. “I would have torn the Empire apart to find you, my dear.”

And Zarkon knew that they meant it…

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: [revasnaslan](http://revasnaslan.tumblr.com/)


End file.
